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  #1  
Old 08-30-2019, 08:16 PM
Flying Canuck Flying Canuck is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 387
Default CO Detection with Raspberry Pi

I know there are a few people here who tinker a bit with homebuilt electronics. I've got a panel mounted Raspberry Pi 3 in my plane that I don't actively use (I had plans, built a moving map for it in Python, but never quite finished it). Anyways, this week I got my hands on an MQ-7 CO Sensor. I was wondering if anyone had ever managed to put together a CO detector with these components. I've got an Arduino board that I could use as well, if I had to.

Anyone able to save me some time figuring this out?

I struggled to find a forum for this, hope glass cockpit works.
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RV-9A #91081, C-GCPT
Dynon SkyView HDX, IO-320 and WW 200RV C/S. Flying as of August 6, 2018

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  #2  
Old 08-30-2019, 09:09 PM
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jcaplins jcaplins is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Davis, CA, USA
Posts: 540
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flying Canuck View Post
I know there are a few people here who tinker a bit with homebuilt electronics. I've got a panel mounted Raspberry Pi 3 in my plane that I don't actively use (I had plans, built a moving map for it in Python, but never quite finished it). Anyways, this week I got my hands on an MQ-7 CO Sensor. I was wondering if anyone had ever managed to put together a CO detector with these components. I've got an Arduino board that I could use as well, if I had to.

Anyone able to save me some time figuring this out?

I struggled to find a forum for this, hope glass cockpit works.
I look forward to hearing how this goes for you. I have arduinos and a couple of CO sensors and was planning to put something together myself. I plan to have it part of an engine monitor display i'm trying to setup (displaying GRT EIS4000 serial data and 02 sensor data).

I'm not really a programmer so i'm interested in how others do things.

I dislike the Rasberry pi for these sort of things because it seems overkill, draws more power (probably negligible) and generates more heat, plus it has to go through a shutdown sequence. Arduinos you can just flip on and off.

I was planning to start with something like this and see where it goes:
https://www.instructables.com/id/Ard...g-MQ-7-Sensor/
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RV7 N76CX
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  #3  
Old 08-30-2019, 11:05 PM
lawnboy lawnboy is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: miles city
Posts: 22
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This place gets cooler all the time!!!
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  #4  
Old 08-31-2019, 08:15 AM
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Snowflake Snowflake is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada
Posts: 3,932
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There has been discussion of CO detectors on the Stratux slack channel... I think a few people are working on integrating one. The SPI bus is getting busy! AHRS, OLED screens, CO detectors...
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1996 RV-6 "Tweety" C-FRBP (formerly N196RV)
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  #5  
Old 08-31-2019, 08:17 AM
Flying Canuck Flying Canuck is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 387
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Well, it was a good idea at the time... In examining the datasheet for this sensor, it requires a 48 hours warm up time before the readings get any sort of accuracy. That is just shy of of a couple of days longer than my range and unless I want to setup constant power in my plane, this is not going to be a practical endeavor. That's a shame, I could have the saved $6/year that the ASA CO detector cards cost.
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Claude Pitre
RV-9A #91081, C-GCPT
Dynon SkyView HDX, IO-320 and WW 200RV C/S. Flying as of August 6, 2018

Interactive map of all of my flights here
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  #6  
Old 08-31-2019, 10:35 AM
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jcaplins jcaplins is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Davis, CA, USA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flying Canuck View Post
Well, it was a good idea at the time... In examining the datasheet for this sensor, it requires a 48 hours warm up time before the readings get any sort of accuracy. That is just shy of of a couple of days longer than my range and unless I want to setup constant power in my plane, this is not going to be a practical endeavor. That's a shame, I could have the saved $6/year that the ASA CO detector cards cost.
I have zero faith in those little cards. I had an exhaust leak once and my electronic co detector was alarming with readings well over 100ppm (don't quote me on the exact number) and the card showed nothing.
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  #7  
Old 09-01-2019, 09:45 AM
blaplante blaplante is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Southern California
Posts: 112
Default Alternate Sensor

https://www.adafruit.com/product/319...SAAEgJ0lvD_BwE

More expensive (but not bad), and seems to be much faster. ["wait a second after turning on to take readings"]

However, it is sensitive to multiple gases (not just CO). Not that you should have an Ammonia leak in the RV.
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  #8  
Old 09-01-2019, 10:11 AM
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n82rb n82rb is offline
 
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Location: fort myers fl
Posts: 949
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to get that sensor to read in PPM will take a bit of work as the curve is not linear for that sensor. it can be done, but to get accurate and reliable output you will need to have a chamber to validate the output and mapping.

bob burns
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